The Hawaiian gazette., 1887-10-11
Sydney to San Francisco.
From 81 Edlnbnrgh seOt.manl

first time, in visiting cities and scenes
that one has often read about, and in
changing suddenly from one climate
to another. From the heat and dust
of Sydney and Auckland ii was re
freshing even to look forward to a
three weeks voyage across the Pa
citic Ocean-the very name of which
suggests peace and rest. The line OF
steamers plying monthly between
Sydney and San Francisco is Amer1-
can-owned. and carries the mails be
tween New Zealand and Britain.
This route is the connecting link in a
voyage round the world, and is pre-
ferred by travellers to the alternate
one via Cape Horn. The Zealandia
nearly a month before sailing had
her full complement of passengers
booked. including the Earl and
Countess Of Aberdeen. Just before
leaving Sydney the Countess felt in
disposed, and had to leave the ship
about an hour before sailing In
four days we entered Auckland Har
bour. and took on board the New
Zealand mails and passengers. At 4
D. m. on April 18th we left Auckland
amid the tears and cheers of thous-
ands of spectators. Soon after losing
sight of land we got into squally
weather, and had boisterous night.
Few and sad were the faces at next
mornings breakfast table, while the
woe-begone cry, "Oh my J" became
monotonous. This stormy weather
continued for three days, and to rem
der it more disagreeable was accom-
panied with muggy heat As the
PORTFOLIOS could not be opened, the
temperature in the state rooms and
saloon was most oppressive, making
all on board limp and miserable. On
reaching $50 degrees longitude we
were twelve hours ahead of Green
wich time, and as we were still tray
cling eastwards there were other
twelve hours gain in store for us, so
the captain combined the two and
gave us a whole day. To have two
Wednesdays in one week was a nov
city worth coming almost so far to
experience. To go to bed on We'd
nesday night, April 9th, and to wake
up on Wednesday morning, April
9th, would be termed an impossible
ity (; but here it was an accomplished
fact. With the weather we were
having the time was hanging heavily
enough on our hands without getting
an extra day foisted on US but so it
was, and we had to grin and bear
IT, On the first clear night after this
we discovered Ursa Major, commonly
known as the Plough, in the northern
sky, which was a welcome sight.
Home thoughts at once crowded upon
US as we stood gazing at the old fam
liar constellation, which we had
missed for many months when gazing
at the bright Australian heavens.
Australians who now saw the Plough
for the first time confessed that it
was a much finer group than the
Southern Cross. This latter is much
over-rated The five stars composing
it are in the form of boys kite, but
as it is often seen lying horizontally
the resemblance to a cross is very
vague The Milky Way in which it
is set is much finer in every way.
On the 29th we stopped at Tutuila,
one of the Samoan group of islands.
As there was no pier the steamer lay
off until a boat came alongside for
the mail bag, bringing with it one
native passenger and some bags of
lines and lemons. The island was
very picturesque as seen from the
steamer, and we were told was very
fertile. After leaving here the
weather moderated, but was still very
hot. On May I'd we crossed "the
line" At noon wag sent several
people up from the saloon to see a
shadowless man. As the sun was i'm
mediately overhead of course no one
had shadow. Although nearly
every passenger had crossed 1.-THE
line before, still party of young
men revived the dying custom of
paying tribute to Father Neptune.
Their grotesque costumes and horse
play would have done credit to a pro
7incial pantomime and formed a
pleasing break in the voyage.
On May It'll we steamed into the
harbor of Honolulu, passing numbers
of native fshermen's boats Of most
peculiar build. Before getting along
side the pier we were amused by boys
diving from it and picking up coins
thrown from the steamer into three
or four fathoms of muddy water As
there were 600 tons of sugar to be
shipped here, we took advantage of
the delay to explore the town. 1t
was our first experience of tropical
soil and was highly interesting. After
a fortnight's stewing in hot ship
with unsavory meat and no fresh
vegetables or eggs, we made rush
to the hotel for square meal" The
proprietor "a Yankee) was prepared
for US had a good spread, and was
rewarded with a pocketful of dollars
with many thanks and smiles thrown
in. 1t was refreshing to see the lux
uriant verdure all around Cocoa